At the Silverstone Auctions this month, a 1962 VW Beetle 1200 De Luxe, described as "one of the best Resto Cal Beetles the world has seen," will cross the auction block. £55,000 has been spent on meticulously restoring this Bug, a four year project that has only recently been completed. Rescued from disrepair, the first area restored was the chassis. Stripped down and rebuilt with a fabricated height-adjustable air system, it was then painted in 'base and clear' and every nut, bolt and washer sourced and swapped with stainless-steel replacements.

(Unbelievably, these were later replaced with smooth polished versions, void of numbers and letters on the heads.) Nine weeks of body and paint work followed (excluding prep and paint of Silver Beige parts) finished in Ruby Red, while the engine was bored out to 1384 cc by Vintage Speed and a period four-tip Abarth fitted. Inside, new Derby Grey cloth and Oatmeal colored wool transformed the cabin. Other mods include hand-formed fender skirts and a set of refurbished, triple-chromed Porsche 911S-sourced Fuchs alloys. The 1962 Beetle De Luxe will be auctioned on July 27 at the Silverstone Classic Sale, estimated at between £30,000 to £35,000.